Billy Crystal Fast Facts

Personal: Birth date: March 14, 1947

Birth place: Long Beach, New York

Birth name: William Edward Crystal

Father: Jack, concert promoter and record store manager

Mother: Helen (Gabler) Crystal

Marriage: Janice (Goldfinger) Crystal (1970-present)

Children: Jennifer and Lindsay

Education: New York University, B.F.A., 1970

Other Facts: Hosts the Academy Awards nine times: in 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1997, 1998, 2000, 2004 and 2012.

Hosts the Grammy Awards three times: 1987, 1988 and 1989.

Worked as a substitute teacher at Long Beach Junior High School.

Carries a toothbrush in his pocket when hosting the Oscars, because as a child he'd rehearse his Oscar speech while holding a toothbrush.

Was Jay Leno's first guest on the "Tonight Show" when Leno took over from Johnny Carson.

Has been nominated for 22 Emmy awards and won six.

Timeline: 1971-1975 - Member of an traveling improvisational comedy group.

1977-1981 - Plays television's first openly gay character Jodie Dallas on the sitcom "Soap."

1984-1985 - Cast member on "Saturday Night Live."

1986 - Airing live on HBO, Crystal joins Robin Williams and Whoopi Goldberg in hosting the first Comic Relief fundraiser for healthcare for the homeless.

1989 - Wins an Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Performance in Special Events for "The 31st Annual Grammy Awards."

1990 - Wins an Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing in a Variety or Music Program, for "Billy Crystal: Midnight Train to Moscow."

1991 - Wins an Emmy for Outstanding Individual Performance in a Variety or Music Program and another Emmy for Outstanding Writing in a Variety or Music Program- both for "The 63rd Annual Academy Awards."

1992 - Wins an Emmy for Outstanding Individual Achievement in Writing in a Variety or Music Program for "The 64th Annual Academy Awards."

1998 - Wins an Emmy for Outstanding Performance in a Variety or Music Program for "The 70th Annual Academy Awards."

December 5, 2004 - Crystal's one man show, "700 Sundays," opens on Broadway.

2005 - Wins a Tony Award for Special Theatrical Event for "700 Sundays."

2006 - Crystal reunites with Whoopi Goldberg and Robin Williams to benefit people affected by Hurricane Katrina. The fundraiser was a special edition of Comic Relief in which the trio had hosted for two decades.

2007 - Receives the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor.

March 13, 2008 - The New York Yankees add Crystal to the team for one day, the day before his 60th birthday, in a spring training game against the Pittsburgh Pirates. His uniform number is 60. Crystal strikes out his only time at bat.

July 17, 2008 - Is named to the board of directors of the National September 11 Memorial & Museum.

November 10, 2011 - Crystal is named as the host of the Oscars in February 2012, replacing Eddie Murphy.

August 25, 2014 - Crystal pays tribute to his long time friend and fellow comedian Robin Williams at the 66th annual Primetime Emmy Awards calling him the "greatest friend you could imagine."

2015 - Returns to sitcom television after 30 years in "The Comedians." FX cancels it after one season.